Game.



PATBNTED JULY 23; 1907.. D. H. MARTIN.

GAME

AYPLIOATIOK FILED DEG. 8, 1906- a sums-sum 1.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID HIRAM MARTIN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL W. VAUGHEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 23, 1907.

Application filed December 8,1906. Serial No. 346,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID HIRAM MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Games; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

, Figure l is a perspective view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary bottom plan view, on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary sectional view. Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary perspective view.

The invention relates to games of chance, and it consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts constituting the means of playing the game, as hereinafter set forth.

The game is designed to be played by two or more persons, one of whom sets the device by hidden means, and the other plays to overcome the setting or fail in so doing.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, in its application to the attack and defense of a fort, the letter a, designates a base having a pivot pin b, upon which turns a movable elongated platform or playing board a. At one end of this board is located the fort d, in the central portion of a marginally walled closure e, which communicates with the grooves or passages f, and g, extending to the other end of the board, upon which may be mounted a ship, or cannon or other device indicative of the attacking force. The play board is designed to be slightly inclined downward toward the closure 6, and at or near the entrance to said closure the grooves f, and g, are provided with two slots, p, having pivoted floor strips or falls h, and k, respectively. These floors or falls are delicately adjusted by means of small weights 10, so as to remain normally closed or even with the general level of the closure and bottoms of the grooves f, and g, and yet so as to be easily tipped or operated by means of little balls 2:, which are designed to be made of metal, and aroused by the attacking player. These little balls may be marked or variously colored to indicate difierent ships or difierent countries, according to the fancy of the players.

Under the broad portion or defensive part of the play board is pivoted a latch device t, having an end 11,

which is about as wide as the distance or interval be-- tween the ends of the tipping floors or strips h, and k, said end extending sufficiently to enable the player, by operating the outer end to, of the latch, to move it under one or the other of the tipping floors. By means of the latch, which is hidden under the broad or shield portion of the playboard, the player who is defending the fort can set the latch to lock one or the other of these tipping strips in position, so that it cannot be deflected by a ball passing over it. This player having determined his position by thus setting the latch, withdraws his hand from the playboard, and the attacking player then takes one of the little balls, and choosing one or the other of the attacking grooves or passages, enters the ball therein. If he plays the ball in the barred groove or passage it passes over the tipping floor into the closure of the fort and he wins. If, however, he plays the ball in the groove having the unlatched tipping floor, the ball tips this floor and passes down through the slot or opening I), of the board to the base a, which is provided with a marginal wall, to prevent the ball from rolling off. This attacking player thus loses and the fort wins.

A single defending player may operate against a number of attacking players, as the playboard is pivoted so as to be readily turned toward the attacking players severally in succession. If the defending player loses he may change places with the successful attacking player or continue the defense, in accordance with such rules as may be determined upon in the regulation of the game.

Having described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. In a game of contest, a playboard having attacking grooves or passages provided with tipping floors, and a hidden defensive latch adapted to engage said floors in severalty.

2. In a game of contest, a pivoted playboardhaving slotted attacking grooves or passages, tipping floors pivoted in such passages, a broad defensive end, communicating with such grooves or passages, and pivoted under said defensive end, a hidden setting latch adapted to severally engage said tipping floors.

3, A game of contest comprising a marginally walled base, a playboard pivoted thereto, and having a broad end provided with an object of defense within a walled clo-- sure, and extending from the other end slotted passages of attack communicating with said closure, tipping floors in said passages, playing balls, and a hidden setting latch under said broad end.

4. In a game of contest, a pivoted playboard having openings an attacking end and a defensive end, tipping devices covering said openings, and a setting latch hidden by the defensive end and operating to severally engage said tipping devices.

5. In a game of contest, a playboard having openings a defensive device, tipping devices covering said openings of the playboard, and a setting latch hidden by said defensive device and operating to severally engage said tipping devices.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID HIRAM MARTIN.

Witnesses:

HERBERT C. EMERY, S. W. VAUGHEN. 

